412 Lax: Monday Morning Attackman

Editor’s note: the following is an excerpt from a recent post on 412.LaxAllStars.com, a LaxAllStars Network site.

Because Don Draper wants to talk about scheduling. And we have pictures of Nike uniforms that can cure swine flu, world hunger, and the thunder cradle technique…

SCHEDULING PHILOSOPHY? FUN and GUN

When the final whistle sounded on the 2009, we knew we needed to make some changes to the schedule. I played more than 11 games in 3rd grade soccer so knew we needed to add more games against better competition.

When it comes to competition in the MCLA there are significant gaps in talent between the top 10 and the top 25 and the top 25 and everybody else, the haves and have nots explanation of the league applies here. If you are on the outside of the top 25 looking in and are playing a non top 25 caliber schedule, your world shatters like Taylor Swift’s on VMA night the moment you step onto the field with a legit MCLA team.

Exhibit A, Pitt was only down 3-2 to Virginia Tech after the first quarter, and 6-3 after the 1st half. The elephant in the room is that score represents only one half. In the second half we were blown out by an MCLA tournament team. They were able to make adjustments and/or their skill level eventually outpaced us.

While they were certainly a better team at one point the game was quite close. For us mentally the problem was Virginia Tech was the first team that really had us on the ropes all season. We weren’t prepared to play against a team better than us. We weren’t prepared to value each possession and be blood thirsty for ground balls. That’s an attitude adjustment that needs to be cultivated in practice but without a doubt culminates on gameday.

Its the notion of “there are no big games” because every game is a big game.

About the author

412 Lax

Tumbas is entering his third season as editor of 412 Lax. He was apart of the first ever Wooster team to reach the NCAA tournament in 2004 and later finished his playing career at the University of Pittsburgh. Currently, Tumbas is the head coach at Indiana University.